Easton Is Packed For Colorjam '96 * Traffic Snarls Are The Norm Downtown As Thousands Attend Two Rivers Opening.

July 17, 1996|by JOE NIXON, The Morning Call

Shoulder to shoulder. Bumper to bumper.

Any way you cut it, yesterday was up close and personal as an estimated 30,000 to 50,000 people streamed into downtown Easton for ColorJam '96, the grand opening of Two Rivers Landing in the city's Centre Square.

The salute to Two Rivers, home to the Crayola Factory, the National Canal Museum and the National Heritage Corridor Visitors Center, was only expected to draw half the visitors who showed up yesterday. "We didn't expect it to be this big," said Eric Zebly of crayon maker Binney & Smith, the force behind the Crayola factory. "It's exciting."

As crowds thinned out by mid-afternoon, city and Binney officials said things went as well as could be expected with such a large number of people in a congested area. The crowd peaked during the ColorJam parade, which lasted from 10:30 a.m. to about 11:45 a.m.

Was there ever a bigger crowd downtown? "I don't think there ever was," said a beaming Mayor Thomas Goldsmith as he finished an ice cream cone.

Traffic jams and normal five-minute trips through downtown taking 20 minutes were common. The mayor even had to get a ride in a police car to make it to the head of the parade in time.

State police Sgt. Douglas Bart of the Belfast barracks said a trooper was stationed on Route 22 throughout the day and reported backups on westbound Route 22 past 13th Street. Russ Border, supervisor of the city maintenance garage, said one woman told him she sat on Route 22 for an hour waiting to exit at 4th Street into the city. Bob Wilson of Upper Mount Bethel Township, a member of the Bangor Area School Board, decided to bypass the backup altogether and park in the Union Square area in Phillipsburg.

Binney & Smith ran shuttle buses from several parking lots outside the city, including Easton Area High School in Palmer Township and the old Laneco store lot off Sullivan Trail in Forks Township. Shuttle lots were reported filled. One woman said the long shuttle lines forced her to drive into the city, where she found a parking spot in St. Bernard's Catholic Church lot on S. 5th Street.

Zebly apologized for any inconvenience in the shuttle service, saying Binney did not expect so many people to show up. He said Binney added five shuttle buses when problems arose.

"It's hard to estimate," he said. "We tried to do the best we could. When we found there were problems, we tried to rectify them."

Easton police Sgt. Carmen Pezzuto said cars were parked all along College Avenue from downtown to the College Hill section. That parking pattern is usually seen during high-profile football games at Lafayette College.

"I was surprised. I was amazed. I couldn't believe it," Pezzuto said. Police reported a crowd control problem on S. 3rd Street when the parade broke up in the area of Pine Street instead of further down on Ferry. Spectators waiting near Ferry Street rushed toward Centre Square, making it hard for parade vehicles to pass.

The city's parking garage at S. 3rd and Ferry streets closed its gates at about 9:45 a.m. Upper levels of the four-level garage were filling as early as 8 a.m.

Easton police Capt. Edward Zukasky said 23 extra officers were used for crowd control and patrols yesterday, with two more assigned to the parade car that carried Gov. Ridge. In addition, he said, Northampton County Sheriff Al Diomedo and seven deputies helped out. No major incidents were reported.

City Public Works Director Kristie Miers said crews were keeping a close eye on the trash churned out by the crowd, making sure garbage cans were emptied. And a different kind of litter had to be swept up yesterday -- confetti.

About 40 multi-colored pounds of the lightweight paper was shot through tubes from rooftops as the parade made its way up Northampton Street and around Centre Square.

The cleanup work was expected to be completed by 8:30 p.m. last night, three hours after the festivities ended.

Several people were affected by the heat yesterday, while others were treated for bee stings and other medical problems, such as diabetes. A volunteer with the Easton Emergency Squad estimated about 20 people were treated during the day, with a few taken to the hospital.

One traffic accident was related to the festivities, but that occurred on Route 248 in Palmer Township when two empty Easton Area School District buses collided. The drivers were taken to Easton Hospital, where they were treated and released.

As the sun started its afternoon retreat, City Council President Brian Ahearn stood near the Soldiers and Sailors monument in the square, happy about the launching of one the city's success stories. "We got more than we expected, probably," he said. "We have a big cleanup, of course, but I don't think we can complain about that.